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Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

I love mushrooms. No matter what recipe I make, even if it does not call for mushrooms, they will find their way into my food. And really it is the white button mushroom that is my favorite; I hadn’t even tried a portobello or baby bella until a few years ago…very sad! So long I have been a vegetarian and having never tried the beefy-type mushroom. I still have not tried any other type of mushroom, but I will get there…one step at a time.

I don’t know why this happens to be my favorite vegetable, but as I am trying to go vegan I am wanting to find ways to continue my love for them…especially in the holiday season when my family is making all things creamed of mushroom souped! I grew up on tuna casserole with the staple of cream of mushroom soup and cheddar cheese. I have been missing both for awhile and decided to try my hand at the “cream” soup, especially with the Green Bean Casserole and left over turkey casserole coming up for the holidays.

I went searching for a vegan recipe for the soup-I just Googled Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup and this recipe was the first that came up for me. It looked easy enough and looked good also. Now, let me just warn you, I have stepped way over the line that is my comfort zone by making this soup….which is most likely why it didn’t turn out right 🙂

I followed the recipe mostly to a T. I did not want to deviate to much as to not have a non-creamy soup. The only thing I didn’t add was the vegan sour cream, because I didn’t have any. I had bought pre-sliced mushrooms, both baby bella and button. I chopped up the mushrooms into little pieces and added that to the melting butter, then followed the directions.

Cream of Mushroom Soup:

1 16oz bag Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped small

1 16oz container Sliced Button Mushrooms, chopped small

1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped small

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Tbsp Vegan Margarine

1 Can Veggie Broth

1 Cup Water

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Plain Soy Milk

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Chop all mushrooms and onion into small pieces.

2. Melt butter in pot then add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute all ingredients together until tender.

3. Reduce heat to low and add veggie broth and water and cover. Let cook for 45 minutes.

4. Add flour and soy milk; stir well to combine. Simmer for 20-35 minutes or until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

So, the above steps were from the recipe I used. There was no thickening happening, and I had flour chunks because they didn’t want to mix in well. I let the soup go for twenty minutes and nothing happened. Maybe if I had blended the soup and mushrooms it might have become thicker?

I decided to make a roux to add to the soup so it would thicken up. By this time I was really upset at the soup. I had been so excited at the prospect of a cream of mushroom soup that the fact of the no-thickening soup it just made me so mad. I had wanted this to be my wonder soup, to show to myself that I can step out of my comfort zone and cook something so different for myself…grr!

So my roux. I followed the recipe on the corn starch box. (Veganized)

1 1/2 Tbsp Vegan Butter

1 Tbsp Corn Starch

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/8 Tsp Pepper

1 C Plain Soy Milk

Melt butter in small pot over medium heat. Stir in in corn starch, salt and pepper. Stir well until fully combined. Add soy milk in slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, and stirring boil for one minute.

Well, the roux did not thicken up like I have seen Rachael Ray do. It was thicker then a normal soup though. I added it to my mushroom soup hoping against hope that I would have a thick creamy soup.

Nope, not happening. I ended up with a very good tasting mushroom soup (no longer calling it cream of mushroom); it had the perfect flavoring of pepper to salt ratio. I loved all the mushrooms in it instead of little bits of mushrooms in a normal cream soup. I am happy with the end game since the flavor was good, but really do wish it had thickened up.

Anyone else tried to make a vegan cream of something soup? Did it turn out for you?